Condenser



Patented Mar.` 2`, 1926.

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

` EINAE a. JonNsEN, E MOUNTAIN :can-as,` NEW JERSEY.

CONDENSER.

Application filed January 11, 1924. Serial No. 685,527.

each given unit so that all the tubes carry y,

the same quantity of circulating water. The heat transfer per unit of tube surface in a surface condenseris always greatest at the steamv inlet whichis generally placed at the top of the condenser and the heat transfer diminishes gradually toward the outlet for the condensate and non-condensable vapors which is usually placed at the bottom of the condenser. This is largely because of the higher initial velocity of the steam as it enters the condenser and because the surface of the-condenser tubes adjacent the steam inlet is comparatively free from condensate and non-cond'ensable vapors, whereas the inner and lower tubes are covered witha film of condensate to' a greater or lesser extent which tends to heat insulate the tubes in the lower section of the condenser. It will be readily understood, therefore, that employing tubes of uniform size in a given condenser apparatus isa relatively ineificient practice.

I have found that b'y varying the size of the condenser tubes in a surface condenser and suitably spacing the same these difficulties may be overcome, and in carrying out the invention the condenser tubes are .arranged in sections decreasing in size from the steam inlet to the condensate outlet. The smaller tubes obviously carry less circulating water than the larger'tubes, assuming the head in the distributing water box is constant and the tubes are so spaced as to evenly apportion or distribute the work of the condenser as performed in the various tube sections. The advantages obtained in varying the sizes of the condenser tubes are, therefore, obvious and the more -important of these .are to obtain a uniform distribution ofthe steam around all the tubes to obtain a greater efciency and permit the use of a smaller unit and to obtain a substantially uniform temperature of the circulating water as the same leaves all the .tubes and a resultant hotter condensate as the same is withdrawn from the condenser, as will be` hereinafter more particularly described. In the drawing: v Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a surface condenser,-and

Fig. 2 is an end View on an enlarged scale showing a tube plate and the manner 1n which theitubes may be distributed in the condenser. n

AReferring to the drawing, the condenser shell is indicated at 10. This is provided with an exhaust steam inlet 11 preferably at the top thereof and condensed steam out-- lets 12, 13 and 14e at the'bottom thereof, it

Abeing understood, however, thatv this illustration is merely diagrammatic as one or more outlets for the condensate and the noncondensable vapors may be. employed. The usual tube plates are indicated at 15 and 16. Thev tube plate 15 is connected to the flange 17 of the condenser shell .and between' the same and the flange 18 of the water box 19 by vsuitable bolts in the usual manner or otherwise. 4The outer flange 20 of the water box is similarly connected to the flange 21 of Athe water box bonnet 22 in which there may provided suitable hand 'holes normally closed by suitable hand hole covers 23. This water box 19 is also provided with the usual circulating water inlet nozzle 24.

In the same manner atthe other end of the condenser the tube lplate 16 is connected to the flange 25 at the end of the condenser yand to the iauge 26 of the water box 27 by suitable bolts or otherwise. The waterbox 27 has an outer flange 28 which is connected to a flange 29 of the water box bonnet 30 in which there may be a number of hand holes normally closed by hand hole covers 31. The water box 27 furthermore is provided ico with a circulating water outlet nozzle 32.4

'that' is three different diameters.

vided with valves indicated at 33 and. connected to a common discharge pipe 34 com- ,.municating with a pipe35 leading to the apparatus, but obviously the invention is not limited to this type as it-may be emplo edjina double, triple, or condnsers lin which the circulating water is caused to pass and repass in opposite directions any desired or' required number of times.

Asillustrated in Fig. 2 the interior of. the condenser shell may be divided into a plurality of sections or compartments by suitable walls 37, 3,8, 39 and 40 or otherwise, this illustration being alsoimerely diagrammatic." 0 partition wallsasaforesaid divide the 1nterior ofthe condenser into sections or compartments indicated at a, b and c. `In each of these compartments the condenser tubes are also arranged in sections, each section having a plurality of different sized con-- denser tubes therein, the diameters. ot the condenser tubes preferably 'varying from.. the upper portion of the shell orthe exhaust steam inlet ortion thereof toward the 'bottoni of the Shel or the condensed steam outlet portion thereof. As shown, the tubes in each section are of three different sizes,

For eX- -am le, in the compartment athe inner tubes indicated at 41 are A of relatively small vdiameter,.the intermediate sectionor group' of tubes 42, are of a larger diameter, and

the outer section or group of tubes 43A are of a still greater diameter. In alike inanner, the tubes in compartment are arranged in three sections of different diam- Leters, the tubes in section 44 being of relatively small diameter, the intermediate section of tubes 45 being of a larger diameter,

lwhile the outer section of tubes 46- in this compartment -are of a still greater diameter. The same condition maintains in compartment c, in which the innersection of tubes 47 are of relatively-small diameter, the intermediate sectiony of tubes 48 are of larger diameter, nd the outer lsection of tubes 49 vare of-stillgreater diameter.

` As,illustrating theadvantage in employ-f ingl'c'o'ndenser tubes .of-different diameters and groupingthe same so that the tubes of largerl ,diameter are adjacent the l eXahust steam inletof the condenser and the tubes of they smallen diameter "are ladjacent the condensate outlet portion of the condenser, it will be seen, for example, that three one inch tubes spaced three inches between their centers have 'a surface area per unit 'of length l As illustrated, however, the.

lsubstantially the same as four, three-quarter inch tubes spaced tw.) inches between their centers. In spacing the tubes, as hereinbefore described, therefore there is a larger channel for the incoming exhaust steam as the same enters the condenser which 0bvi' ously'perrnits ofa'more veven distribution' of the 'steam in the sections having the tubes of` larger diameter. It will also be apparent that with a given. constanthead of circulating Water in the water boX a tubefone inch in diameter will carry nearly twice the quantity of water per unit of time as is possible f for a three-quarter inch to' carry. -As the steam is condensed the fvolume and velocityv` of the same decreases and consequently less space' between the condenser tubes is required for an even distribution ofthe remaining uncondensed steam which is provided for by the increasingly diminishing diameters of the condenser tubes vgfrom the steam inlet to the condensed steam outlet. Furthermore the tubes of smallest diameter being placed at the bottom of the condenser permits a closer spacing of these tubes which' is desirable for condensing' the relatively small amount of steam 'remaining when the saine reaches the 'sections of the condenser in which these tubes areplaced. Also as these smaller tubes have alesser core of water the heat penetrates the same morel readily andthey are consequently more ef. ficient than the larger tubes.

I claim as my invention:

l. In lasing'le pass surface` condenser, afi

shell having anexahust steam inlet and a condensate outlet, a plurality of tubes arranged in rowsconverging from the eX- haust'steam inlet tothe condensate outlet, and, alsodecreasing in diameter from the exhaust steam inlet-tothe condensate out` let, thereb providing a substantially uninterrupte lane for the passage of the eX- haust steam between eachvtwo rowsof tubes.

2. In a single pass surface condenser, a

cent the .top thereof and a condensate out` let adjacent the bottom thereof, and a plurality of tubes arranged fin sections,- each section of the said tubes having a plurality of groups of tubes. of :different diameters, the said tubes of dierent diameters -in the .several sections being arranged in lrows con- -shell having an exhaust steam inlet adjaiis izoj

of different diameters in the several sections haust steam lane between each two of the being arranged in rows converging from the said sections of tubes, which steam lanes exhaust steam inlet to the condensate outare of. greater area than the areas of the 1Q let, thereby providing substantially unintersteam lanes between adjacent rows of tubes.

5 rupted lanes between each two rows of tubes` Signed by me this 28 day' of December, for the passage of the exhaust steam, there 1923.

also being a substantially uninterrupted eX'- l EINAR A: J OHNSEN. 

